Not everyone will have the fondest memories of the Spring 2008 fishing season but a few will smile. It was definitely the windiest February through May in my lifetime. For a select few middle coast guides and anglers, a certain breed of baitfish saved many days from the 20-30 mph winds that became a dreaded norm last year.
We all know that summer is the time for tides and the shrimp migrate in the autumn; but spring is the season of the minnow - the glass minnow. These flashy little creatures show up in the shallows in schools of thousands. Drawn by this display, pelicans and other birds descend on the flats for weeks at a time. Speckled trout and redfish will be waiting for their chance to feed as well. If you can wait for them to get hungry enough, you can bring in quite a catch!
Along with Captain Kent Sabin, I was guiding a group of fishermen from Dallas and Austin that spring on what turned out to be one of, if not the windiest day of the entire season. From the word go, we were experiencing a 20mph wind from the south; which then turned around on us with a 30mph wind out of the north! The wind was making every bit of fishable water available to us muddy and we were left wondering exactly what we were going to do.
When we were heading out of the water, Sabin and I were ambushed with recommendations by other guides to cancel instead of attempting to wade in the blown out waters. Instead of sending them home from a fishing trip that did not even involve a boat ride, we opted to give our customers a fighting chance at catching a fish.
Pelicans slammed the water with high dive assaults in a wide cove on the south shoreline. The waist deep western bank was full of bait that was situated over thick grass. We lined up within casting distance of the baitfish school and affixed our wading boots in firm mud. I was confident the fish would move in despite a falling tide and decreasing clarity. We matched the glass minnow's darting features with Brown Lures' glow and chartreuse soft plastic lure which are perfect for this situation. Undersized fish were drawn in by Dark Strawberry and White. Then I threw in a miniature chrome topwater and a cruising redfish soon felt the hooks. Up until there was minimal sunlight, the bite remained as slow as I have seen it so many times before. Then the fish filed in in real numbers.
A patch of bait that was previously the size of a swimming pool quickly became tightly confined. Minnows flipped and bounced on the surface like popcorn. Trout were seen jolting clear out of the water in pursuit. The surface of the water boiled as piranha-like predators furiously attacked glass minnows like machines.
Reeling fast and keeping the lure above the surface would draw trout above the water, but slowing down the retrieve produced the most solid hookups. Full limits of redfish were a token of the outing's success.
If you're still waiting for the right time to get out on the water, stop waiting; but don't be afraid of the dark - after dark can be the best time of all!
We all know that summer is the time for tides and the shrimp migrate in the autumn; but spring is the season of the minnow - the glass minnow. These flashy little creatures show up in the shallows in schools of thousands. Drawn by this display, pelicans and other birds descend on the flats for weeks at a time. Speckled trout and redfish will be waiting for their chance to feed as well. If you can wait for them to get hungry enough, you can bring in quite a catch!
Along with Captain Kent Sabin, I was guiding a group of fishermen from Dallas and Austin that spring on what turned out to be one of, if not the windiest day of the entire season. From the word go, we were experiencing a 20mph wind from the south; which then turned around on us with a 30mph wind out of the north! The wind was making every bit of fishable water available to us muddy and we were left wondering exactly what we were going to do.
When we were heading out of the water, Sabin and I were ambushed with recommendations by other guides to cancel instead of attempting to wade in the blown out waters. Instead of sending them home from a fishing trip that did not even involve a boat ride, we opted to give our customers a fighting chance at catching a fish.
Pelicans slammed the water with high dive assaults in a wide cove on the south shoreline. The waist deep western bank was full of bait that was situated over thick grass. We lined up within casting distance of the baitfish school and affixed our wading boots in firm mud. I was confident the fish would move in despite a falling tide and decreasing clarity. We matched the glass minnow's darting features with Brown Lures' glow and chartreuse soft plastic lure which are perfect for this situation. Undersized fish were drawn in by Dark Strawberry and White. Then I threw in a miniature chrome topwater and a cruising redfish soon felt the hooks. Up until there was minimal sunlight, the bite remained as slow as I have seen it so many times before. Then the fish filed in in real numbers.
A patch of bait that was previously the size of a swimming pool quickly became tightly confined. Minnows flipped and bounced on the surface like popcorn. Trout were seen jolting clear out of the water in pursuit. The surface of the water boiled as piranha-like predators furiously attacked glass minnows like machines.
Reeling fast and keeping the lure above the surface would draw trout above the water, but slowing down the retrieve produced the most solid hookups. Full limits of redfish were a token of the outing's success.
If you're still waiting for the right time to get out on the water, stop waiting; but don't be afraid of the dark - after dark can be the best time of all!
About the Author:
Captain Kyle Tomek is a professional fishing guide who specializes in wadefishing for big speckled trout and redfish in Texas, and uses Brown Lures' saltwater lures. Kyle suggests you try out a fishing lure from Brown Lures for your next fishing trip.
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